Conor Pope

Dublin

Consumer Affairs Correspondent and Pricewatch Editor at Irish Times

I dropped out of the Cubs because it clashed with The Incredible Hulk on the telly. I work for The Irish Times. DMs were open until the X man made me close them

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Articles

Summer holiday checklist - 25 ways to ‘save not spend’ in the days ahead

5 days ago | irishtimes.com | Conor Pope

Holidays in the sun will be on the horizon for many people in the weeks ahead, and while the accommodation and flight parts of most of these holidays will probably have been paid for already, there are still ways to save and ways to spend over the odds as the countdown continues – which is where we come in with our last-minute guide to saving, not spending. 1.
Irish doctors behind Gaza fund-raising effort call on Australian government to speak out against attacks

6 days ago | irishtimes.com | Conor Pope

A group of Irish doctors working in Perth are behind a fund-raising and awareness initiative that has raised over $170,000AUD (€96,000) for humanitarian aid in Gaza and received the support of nearly 1,000 medics across Australia. The campaign started in March, 2024, with five doctors sitting around Dr Mairéad Heaney’s kitchen table. Dr Heaney is a paediatric consultant from Galway who has been based in Australia for 21 years.
People smuggling investigation underway after two men discovered in truck at Rosslare Europort

1 week ago | irishtimes.com | Conor Pope

A truck driver was arrested at Rosslare Europort early on Friday morning after two people were discovered hiding in his vehicle as he attempted to enter the country. Gardaí in the Wexford/Wicklow Division have launched a people smuggling investigation following the discovery of the two men, who are currently being assessed by medical personnel. They were found in the truck during a customs check that was being conducted by gardaí along with officials from Customs and Revenue.
Sports TV subscriptions: What’s the best value among the dizzying options?

1 week ago | irishtimes.com | Conor Pope

There was a time when sport on Irish television was a simple affair. There was the Six Nations – or Five Nations as it was then and the odd Irish soccer match which would as often as not end in a moral victory but an actual loss. We had the Aga Khan Cup, and Wimbledon, big race meetings from Ireland and the UK, the FA Cup Final and the occasional snooker tournament.
Ryanair would not let Liverpool fan (13) with no arms or legs take power wheelchair on flight

1 week ago | irishtimes.com | Conor Pope

Ryanair has been accused of mistreating a teenage boy with no arms or legs last weekend by refusing to allow him to bring his power wheelchair on a flight. The boy was travelling from Dublin to Liverpool where he was due to watch Liverpool football team lift the premiership trophy. However, the airline dismissed the accusations as emotive, inaccurate and absurd, saying that it stood over its rules governing wheelchair passengers.
Smokers pay tens of thousands more for life insurance and mortgage protection

1 week ago | irishtimes.com | Conor Pope

Smokers pay tens of thousands of euro more for life insurance and mortgage protection than non-smokers, according to new research from price comparison and switching website bonkers.ie. For mortgage protection – a legal requirement for anyone taking out a mortgage in Ireland – a 38-year-old couple can pay as little as €35.60 a month for €300,000 in cover over 30 years as long as they’re both non-smokers.
Irish hotels to join landmark Europe-wide legal action against booking.com

1 week ago | irishtimes.com | Conor Pope

An umbrella organisation representing hundreds of Irish hotels is joining the industry across Europe in an “unprecedented” legal action against one of the world’s largest accommodation platforms over what they say were inflated rate of commission imposed for two decades.
Anthony has paid Eir almost €3,000 more than he had to. Is he due a refund?

1 week ago | irishtimes.com | Conor Pope

“I have been an Eir customer since 2015 and have had no issues until now,” begins a mail from Anthony. His bills are what he has an issue with now. “I noticed my monthly bill for May is €104.25. It is always paid by direct debit so I never really paid attention to it but today I did, and noticed on the Eir website that I am paying almost 75 per cent more than the amount advertised,” he says. To support this claim, he sent us pictures of Eir prices ranging from around €35 to €50 a month.
Gift hamper scam almost ruins reader’s birthday celebrations

1 week ago | irishtimes.com | Conor Pope

Jamie celebrated a birthday recently and was mildly pleased when he got an email purporting to be from Rituals – the beauty and cosmetics retailer – wishing him the best for his big day and offering him a gift to mark the occasion. The catch was he would have to pay a modest sum – of less than €3 – for his present. “The email had my full name in it and my birthday,” he writes, something which assured him all was well. But not everything was as it seemed.
Food safety watchdog seeks views of hygiene ranking of restaurants

1 week ago | irishtimes.com | Conor Pope

Irish consumers could soon be able to see at a glance the hygiene rating of restaurants and retailers after Ireland’s food safety watchdog began a consultation period seeking views on such schemes. Food ratings operate in many countries and provide customers with signage indicating the level of cleanliness and food safety standards of a food business based on official food safety inspections.